Rounded invasive electrohydraulic lithotripsy probe with ports

Abstract

A lithotripter tip configured for use within an invasive lithotripter probe may include a lithotripter tip body dimensioned and configured to be threaded through a human vein or artery of a patient and delivered to a position directly adjacent to a concretion within the patient. The lithotripter tip body may define an interior region in communication with an aperture at a distal end of the lithotripter tip body and the lithotripter tip body may define at least one port in communication with the interior region that is configured to receive a liquid and provide a path for the liquid to flow into the interior region of the body. A first electrode and a second electrode are positioned within the interior region of the lithotripter tip such that such that when liquid from the at least one port is within the interior region and an electric arc occurs between the ends of the first and second electrodes, a gaseous bubble forms within the interior region and a resulting shockwave travels out of the aperture at the distal end of the lithotripter tip body and impacts the concretion positioned directly adjacent to the lithotripter tip body.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for performing invasive lithotripsy, the method comprising:
 threading an invasive lithotripter probe through a human vein or artery to position the lithotripter probe adjacent to a concretion within a patient, wherein:
 the lithotripter probe comprises a lithotripter tip body that defines an interior region in communication with an aperture at a distal end of the lithotripter tip body; 
 an exterior of the lithotripter tip body defines at least a cylindrical portion and a rounded portion, wherein the rounded portion is positioned at the distal end of the lithotripter tip body, the cylindrical portion is positioned adjacent to the rounded portion, and a radius of the rounded portion is greater than a radius of the cylindrical portion; and 
 the exterior of the lithotripter tip body defines at least one side port at the rounded portion of the exterior that is in communication with the interior region of the lithotripter tip body, where the at least one side port is configured to receive a liquid from an environment exterior to the lithotripter tip body and provide a path for the liquid to flow from the environment and into the interior region; 
 
 inserting liquid into the interior region of the lithotripter tip body via the at least one side port at the rounded portion of the exterior; and 
 generating an electric arc between a first electrode and a second electrode positioned within the interior region of the lithotripter probe tip, wherein the electric arc causes a gaseous bubble to form within the liquid in the interior region of the lithotripter probe and a resulting shockwave to travel from the interior region through the aperture at a distal end of the lithotripter tip and to impact the concretion positioned directly adjacent to the lithotripsy probe. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interior region is configured to restrict lateral pressure from the shockwave that forms in the interior region and to focus the shockwave to the distal end of the lithotripter tip. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a side port of the at least one side port is between 0.007 and 0.014 inches in width or diameter. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating an electric arc between the first electrode and the second electrode comprises:
 charging the first electrode to a first polarity and charging the second electrode to at a second polarity that is opposite to the first polarity. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein threading the invasive lithotripter probe through the human vein or artery to position the lithotripter probe adjacent to the concretion within the patient comprises:
 threading the invasive lithotripter probe through the human vein or artery to position the lithotripter probe directly adjacent to the concretion within a patient. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lithotripter probe is positioned less than 2 mm from the concretion within the patient.